


A Night To Remember

by protect_virgil_sanders



Series: A Night To Remember Series [1]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Minor fight, Peer Pressure, Underage Drinking, character gets drugged, everyone gets drunk, hangovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25175824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/protect_virgil_sanders/pseuds/protect_virgil_sanders
Summary: Logan Sanders was in college to learn.The purpose of attending college was to get a degree, in order to further one’s education and increase the likelihood of a successful career. Logan expected to meet like minded individuals there and, after the horrors of high school, this would’ve been a welcome change.Yet, as he sat on a stranger’s couch, looking around the living room lit up neon and bustling with intoxicated youths, Logan realised his sentiment wasn’t shared.(Check the tags for warnings.)
Series: A Night To Remember Series [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833163
Kudos: 30





	A Night To Remember

///

Logan Sanders was in college to learn.

The purpose of attending college was to get a degree, in order to further one’s education and increase the likelihood of a successful career. Logan expected to meet like minded individuals there and, after the horrors of high school, this would’ve been a welcome change.

Yet, as he sat on a stranger’s couch, looking around the living room lit up neon and bustling with intoxicated youths, Logan realised his sentiment wasn’t shared.

He just wanted a quiet night of reading for his classes. Maybe even an episode of that one Netflix documentary, if he’d gotten everything finished. But his roommates wouldn’t let that happen.

“It’s our first week! A party is exactly where we should be!” Roman Price, who’d arrived late and hungover to their induction, had proclaimed to the group. His pink crop top with ‘QUEEN’ emblazoned in bold, combined with his red and gold nails made Logan convinced he had to be in the wrong place. That and Roman also owned zero school supplies. He’d somehow managed to bring three closets worth of clothes, not including accessories, and yet didn’t even think to bring a pen. Even if he majored in Drama, in Logan’s eyes, a lack of supplies was simply unthinkable.

“Yeah! It’ll be a fun bonding experience!” Patton Hart had agreed, grabbing both Logan and Roman in a side hug with each of his arms. He was staying in a room a few doors down, but had helped Logan with his boxes. Logan couldn’t help but find his warm smile ‘cute’, for lack of a better word. Patton did babble throughout the entire exchange - about his nerves and his three cats and his fascination with amphibians - so random nonsense that Logan hardly kept up with. But Patton was easier to deal with than Roman, even if they only had one brain cell between them and every other word out of Patton’s mouth was a pun. At least his fluffy cat sweater with worn jeans was at least semi-normal teenager attire, unlike Roman’s questionable fashion choices. From what Logan’s research had gathered, anyway.

Normal teenager behavior was attending a party and enjoying it. However Logan was sitting in the corner, a glass of juice? (it was red, and tasted like a fruit he couldn’t quite place) being his only company, watching Roman dancing and laughing with someone he had likely just met that day. How could he do that so easily?

Logan’s heart thumped like the bass that blasted from the speakers at the thought of talking to any of these people. 

“Got a crush have we?”

Logan jumped at the sudden appearance of a man on the couch beside him. The man blew his white streaked bangs out of his eyes like a child would, laughing at Logan’s shock. With his wacky voice and mustache he almost looked like a cartoon villain, shit eating grin and all. 

“N-No, Roman is merely an acquaintance.” Logan called over the music.

Logan hoped that would be the end of it. But the man didn’t get up to leave, no, in fact he propped his feet up on the coffee table and let out a comically loud sigh. Great. Another stranger who wouldn’t let him be.

“Aren’t you a little old to be at a college party?”

The man giggled - a high pitched sound sort of close to a hyena yipping - throwing his head as far back as it would go. “Ouch, rude much? And aren’t you a little awkward to be at a college party?”

Logan bit his tongue to stop him making an enemy before he’d been enrolled at college for longer than a day. It wasn’t worth it. He just needed to leave and swear never to attend another party for as long as he lived.

“And I’m not much older than you, Poindexter, so, old? Wrong. But I don’t go to your fancy ‘college’ or what have you, so hooray for you for being half right!”

When saying ‘hooray’ the man fist pumped halfheartedly. This man had to be drunk. No human being was ever this odd while thinking clearly.

“But if you don’t attend college, I’d hardly see any reason for you to-”

“The place just got real old real fast, y’know? And then there was… an incident. That involved a fire extinguisher, a cop car, and that one bitch, what’s her name? Always fucking hated her.” 

The man pondered this while Logan seriously wondered how he’d managed to get stuck with the one psychopath on campus. After a second the man gave up thinking of ‘that one bitch’s’ name.

“Anyways she’s irrelevant, so they kicked me out, right? But even if they want me gone, I don’t have anywhere else to go, right? So I’m just…” The man motioned to the entire room like it was a sight to behold. “...around. Well, around on campus, anyway.”

“That’s- That has to be illegal, or against some kind of rules, how can you even-”

“Of course it’s not allowed! That’s half the fun, silly!”

When Logan couldn’t respond, mouth agape in horror, the man only laughed. How could he find that funny? He could be arrested! His entire life would be over!

It made Logan shudder to even consider.

“Anyway, anyway, back onto the real important stuff.” The man said, as though he hadn’t just confessed to a (probably) serious crime. “Did I interrupt you undressing Roman with your eyes?”

Logan scoffed, almost choking on his drink. And then the words had left his mouth before he could stop it. “Excuse you. I can barely even tolerate him.”

“Ooo, love a good bit of loathing.”

Immediately guilt rose up in Logan’s chest. “I don’t loathe him, I just-”

“It’s quite alright, I won’t tell.” The man giggled, moving so close to Logan that his ribs were pressed into the arm of the couch. “But do give him a chance, would ya? He’s really not so bad once you get past all the…”

Roman and a man with sunglasses (indoors? In the dark?) did shots at the same time, Roman doubling over in spluttering laughter as the contents of his shot was mostly all over his face.

“...well, all that.”

Logan clearly wasn’t looking at the same person this man was. How could there be anything more to Roman other than a flashy buffoon? It made him scoff again.

“I don’t think that’s likely.”

This was the first time his smile faltered, but it was back as soon as it’d left. The man leered over Logan, practically breathing down his neck. “Roman may be annoying, dimwitted, and definitely an asshole - but you’d best think twice before saying any of that to his face.”

Logan squirmed a little, trying to think of any way out of this scenario. If the threatening grin wasn’t bad enough, the overpowering smell of this man was. The combo of body odor and something that resembled dirt, or maybe herbs, made his eyes water. Logan could be in his dorm room studying and instead he was being threatened and his senses were being assaulted. How did Roman have a strange intoxicated man intimidating people for him?

College was feeling more and more like a mistake by the second.

Logan moved to stand. “I think I should be on my way-”

“Oh c’mon, you haven’t even finished your first drink!” The man pulled Logan back down, an arm around his shoulders squeezing tight. Any trance of his threats had all but vanished. “Just stay for a little longer, I’ll even introduce you to some peeps.”

Logan opened his mouth to argue, for the millionth time that conversation, but the man caught the gaze of someone in the crowd and waved them over. “JANUS! VIRGIN!”

After some more incessant yelling from the man breaching Logan’s personal space, a taller figure dodged around the drunken youths - a smaller kid in tow. The taller of the two dressed similarly to Logan without the tie - that and his dress shirt was half solid black, with the other half covered in golden snake patterns that shone in the strobe lights.

The smaller one looked about as happy to be at the party as Logan. However he looked twice as intimidating, despite his small stature, though still tripped over himself as the taller man pulled him along by his arm until they reached the couch. Logan had met the types that wore dark clothes and sported striking black makeup to match, and, to put it simply, it just added onto the list of reasons he wanted to go home.

“It’s Virgil, trash man.” The smaller boy, ‘Virgil’ apparently, growled. Before the man could even start a response the taller figure, who must’ve been Janus, cut him off with a sigh.

“-Remus, always a pleasure seeing you around. You called?”

‘Remus’ ruffled Logan’s hair, making him even higher on the list of people Logan was going to hate for the rest of his life after that night. Roman being the other for peer pressuring him into going. “I want you to meet this lovable nerd! But first - drinks!”

///

It was only going to be one more drink. One more drink, and then Logan could escape.

Logan finished the drink he’d had before being harassed by Remus, but apparently that ‘didn’t count’ because it was mostly gone anyway. Why did Remus care whether Logan stayed? It felt like the set up to a joke where Logan was going to wind up as the punchline, and he could do without any more of those in his lifetime. High school had been hellish enough.

Remus disappeared into the crowd with a vulgar remark about what he was going to do in the bathroom, and Logan considered if he could make it to the door before he came back. He could just go back to his room and not have to worry about drinking, or loud music, or the any advances from strangers that smelled like the inside of a dumpster-

His downward spiral halted as Logan noticed Virgil, sitting tense on the couch, appearing to be digging his nails into his palms. A sick way to pass the time maybe? No, were his hands… shaking?

“Hey-” Logan flinched as Virgil jumped, the boy exhaling in annoyance after a moment. He hardly made eye contact as Logan spoke. “Are you okay?”

Virgil took a shaky breath, pulling his sleeves down over his knuckles like Logan shouldn’t have been looking. Maybe he shouldn’t have been. He didn’t know this kid. For all Logan knew he could’ve been dangerous.

“I’m fine, just- these things are just stupid. I’d much rather be in bed right now.”

Logan almost smiled at the pouting child, instead settling for a nod in Virgil’s direction. “You and me both.”

For the first time since they’d met five minutes ago Virgil’s shoulders loosened, and Logan couldn’t help but wonder what had made him change in the last few minutes. This boy was wearing a black patched hoodie, torn black jeans and had black gauges in both ears - all your classic hallmarks for your average angsty, pissed off emo kid. He’d managed to maintain a consistent scowl when Janus and Remus were around, hissing remarks when they mocked him. It’d made Logan want to steer clear of his path.

But the second they’d left he’d sat down beside Logan and fidgeted like it was nobody’s business. The same spite didn’t fill his tone, if anything he even sounded tired. Curious.

“It’s not too late, y’know, we could make it out of here. I can jump out a window if necessary.” Virgil said.

Logan looked at the door for the hundredth time that evening. “I would do so in a heartbeat, but I worry Remus may hunt me down at a later date.”

Rather than reacting with shock like any regular person would, Virgil rolled his eyes. “Remus? Really?”

Logan grew defensive. “Yes! He’s a criminal, not to mention the fact that he threatened me, I don’t know what he thinks he’s-“

“He’s just - he’s full of shit. Seriously. He won’t do anything, he just thinks it’s funny to scare people. Don’t take him too seriously.”

Oh. Logan didn’t know what to say to that. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment, but Virgil didn’t laugh, or even snicker. Odd. Virgil hasn’t even said it in a condescending tone, he’d sounded sort of... genuine.

Emo clothes, initially hardened exterior, and yet... Logan and Virgil could talk to one another. And it didn’t feel like a sick joke. 

Logan opened his mouth to probe further but never got the chance.

“Oh good, you two didn’t go anywhere. Here.”

Janus now stood opposite Logan, seeming to emerge like magic from the crowd, holding out a red cup expectantly. Logan’s upper lip curled in disdain, but Janus’ offer remained extended.

“I tried to find something non-alcoholic, but the punch bowl seems to have been, shall we say, repurposed into a vomit receptacle. This was the next best thing.” Janus explained. In too much detail, in Logan’s opinion.

Still, the beer didn’t look any more appealing than punch-vomit would. 

Logan rarely ever drank alcohol. He was only eighteen and he wasn’t a fan of illegal activities - even if he had partaken once, but that instance was best left forgotten. Another reminder of the suffering of high school.

Janus must’ve read the concern on Logan’s face. “If you don’t drink something Remus may never leave you alone.

Logan almost laughed but Janus’ expression remained serious. And maybe even a little haunted.

“Trust me, nerd. I’ve been dealing with Remus long enough to know.” 

One more piece of evidence that Remus was the campus psychopath. “Oh.”

“Either way, you should stick around a little while longer.” Janus said, flashing a devilish smile. “This party hasn’t even started yet.”

Whether it was not wanting Remus to follow him home, or a different feeling influencing his actions, Logan took the beer. Was it something about Janus? No, that couldn’t be right. The man just had an air of intrigue about him. That was all.

The beer wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be either. Well, beer itself tasted dreadful, but Logan still ended up having another. And maybe a few more after that. Numbers blurred together after the first few so he wasn’t the best judge. The point was that it tasted fine after a while.

He’d never drank that much. Ever. It should’ve been more concerning that it was.

But between how fun dancing suddenly was and the bass thumping directly into his soul, Logan couldn’t find the time to worry. 

“Maybe you should slow down.” Virgil had said at some point. Logan had just thrust his own drink at the boy instead.

“Maybe you should speed up - moderate alcohol consumption can reduce the risk of developing certain health conditions.”

“I think you’ve had a little more than a moderate amount-”

“Oh come on, it’s all relative!”

Virgil didn’t look convinced, but Logan waved his cup in the boy’s face until he had no choice but to take it. “Y’know, Adolf Hilter didn’t drink, an’ look how he turned out.”

“Logan, trust me, it’s really best if I-“

“Come ooon.” Logan leaned into Virgil a little too heavily, but managed to save himself with minimal help and most of his beer still in its cup. He continued. “This place is filled with strangers, and you know what? You’re the only one who understands how much I despise these things. If you join me we can hate it here together.”

Virgil’s expression softened for a second. For a millisecond Logan might’ve seen a smile, or maybe it was just a trick of the light, who was to say. 

Regardless, after that, Virgil took a cup from Logan. And then they were all drinking together.

Janus kept the drinks coming and Logan gained confidence at the same rate he was losing the ability to see straight. He just laughed it off when he’d stumble into the wall or almost fall into a random stranger only to be swerved away by Virgil. Or maybe Janus. Keeping track of who was around and who he was talking to wasn’t so easy when people were coming and going so fast, but it was hardly a concern. Was this what parties were supposed to be like?

Logan hadn’t known what he’d been missing. All the laughs and the warmth in his chest and the feeling that he really could do anything. 

He’d talked to people. The words that were coming out of his mouth were muted in his ears, but that didn’t matter. Time passed. Or Virgil had said something about it being time to leave and he’d just laughed when Remus dumped a drink on his head in retaliation. The emo vanished after that.

Roman had shoved a phone in his face and taken a selfie, not that he could think hard enough to protest. His fuzzy brain was beginning to blur the details to the point that nothing looked how it should. Nothing to worry about, Logan was having a good time.

That was when dots began to seep into his vision.

Then… black. Blackness, and his insides lurching like they didn’t belong. The next thing Logan knew he was doubled over. Everything tasted putrid and the bleach and vomit smells were at odds with one another. Someone’s hand was on his shoulder.

“Did I-” Logan hurled again, clutching the toilet bowl tight as the room spun. “Did I drink… punch-vomit-?”

Somebody responded above him. Logan knew that. But his senses weren’t cooperating and his head was too heavy to hold up anymore. 

Parties were not fun. Nothing about feeling like death was fun. He should’ve stayed home and studied.

Logan opened his mouth to say so but never got the chance.

///

After that, Logan dipped in and out of reality.

Cool air chilled his tingling skin and Logan shivered. He was vertical. After blinking a few times his body collapsed into a horizontal position. Grass filled Logan’s nose, and he whined. Nothing made sense. 

At least the loud music was gone.

“Ugh, God you reek. He better thank me for this-”

Janus hissed curses as Logan’s body didn’t cooperate with what he wanted it to do. He was trying to get him off the ground. That was good. The ground was cold and it hurt to land on. And the grass smelled bad. 

But something was wrong. Logan’s limbs were completely useless. He flattened a palm on the dirt and tried to push himself up but his arms were jello. Not good.

His thoughts were numbed and fuzzy, but even in that state panic crept in. Something was wrong. Very wrong. A thought passed through his mind about how alcohol didn’t cause muscle weakness. 

“I… I c-nn…”

“Hey-!”

Janus whipped his head around in time for Virgil’s fist to connect with his jaw. 

The taller man stumbled back, releasing Logan’s limp body. Logan’s arms buckled and he slipped to the ground once again. That time he saw stars. Probably because they were so bright in the sky.

Yelling. Someone was yelling. Logan breathed and tried to keep hold of consciousness, watching Virgil’s mouth move. What he could’ve possibly been so mad about? Janus had been helping. 

A shrill sound pierced his ears. Then… nothing.

///

A soft crinkling in his ears had Logan crack an eye open.

This turned out to be a mistake, and he hissed as the light doubled the ache in his skull. Nope. Bad idea. Logan wasn’t ready to face the world just then. Closed eyes were better.

He remained like that for several minutes - lying still with an arm pressed over his eyes, trying to ease the pain. Thinking hurt. And that was bad considering all Logan ever did was think. Well, other than at the party.

Apparently thinking wasn’t allowed there.

After trying and failing to breathe through the queasiness, Logan squinted through the harsh light.

“Patton…?”

The blurred figure jumped, scrabbling to pick up what might’ve been papers from the carpet. It was hard to tell. “Oh gosh, sorry! I was trying to finish my first assignment, I thought you’d at least be out for a few more hours-!”

Patton’s exclamations made Logan’s ears ring. 

“Patton… where are my glasses?” Logan mumbled, trying to push himself up like that would’ve been possible.

Once Logan could see and Patton stopped apologising profusely for the mess he’d made on Logan’s carpet, Patton tried to piece together a shaky explanation.

“I spent the night checking in with you and your new friends, Roman and his new friend, and another group of nice strangers I met. Whenever I talked to you things seemed great! You’d had a little too much to drink sure, but you, Virgil and that guy with a mustache were having a blast together, and I didn’t want to get in the way of that so I tried to leave you guys to it.”

Logan tried to form a solid image in his mind, of even one time he’d spoken to Patton after drinking. But there was nothing and it made worry gnaw at his insides.

“I don’t- Do you know how much I drank? The deal was I finish one drink and then leave the party, I just can’t figure out why I kept going after that.”

Patton frowned at the files he was putting into his backpack. “You never mentioned anything about that. Sorry kiddo.”

Logan stared up at the ceiling like the answers were written up there. “Usually alcohol related memory loss tends to affect someone towards the end of a ‘night out’, correct?”

“Uh… I think so. I never went to many parties in high school, but some friends I knew did, well we were sort of friends, more like half friends or whatever you call people you sort of know but-“

“Patton-“

Patton bit his lip, assumedly to stay quiet. Logan thought some more and ended up vocalizing too much of it.

“So then… Why can I barely remember my first drink? Or many details about my second, or third?” By this point sense was starting to set in for Logan again, and thus panic began to claw up his throat. “The last thing I remember I was- I was on the ground, and I could barely move! Surely that’s not normal?”

Patton didn’t look sure whether to speak, and for a moment seemed to settle on flicking through some remaining papers on the floor. Logan tried and failed miserably to keep his mind from spiraling. He could’ve died, or worse - anything could’ve happened to him. Most of the night was barely in his memory at all.

“When I found you, you were in the backyard on the ground.” Patton said finally. “I was trying to find Virgil, since he vanished from the party at some point, but instead I found you. Well, and Roman.”

Patton motioned to the opposite side of the room, where Roman appeared to be star-fished face down in his own bed, still dressed in party clothes from the night before.

Logan was still dressed too, come to think of it, and his shirt was stained with vomit. This just got better and better.

“Poor guy was crying when I ran into him - something about how he’d ‘lost his Cinderella’ at the party, which was sort of confusing, but I’m glad he could at least help me get you back here.”

“I shouldn’t have been there. I should’ve been studying, I-“ Logan’s memory worked for the first time that day. “I’ve got my first class today! What time is it? I need to-“

Logan clenched his teeth and forced himself into an upright position. Maybe he could power through the dizziness? He’d worked while sick before, how could this be any different?

Patton jumped up in half a second.

“Woah there kiddo, you should not be going anywhere in your state.” Patton steadied Logan by his shoulder, sat on the edge of the bed like Logan was a child with the flu. “You need to drink plenty of water and rest, at least until-“

“I’m fine, I don’t need any more help.”

Logan brushed off Patton and swung his legs over the side of the bed, facing away from him. It’d sounded harsher than intended, but Logan didn’t have time to rest. It was 9:30 already. He should’ve been up hours ago.

But when Logan tried to stand his insides screamed stop and his head split open. Before his legs could even fully straighten he was back on the bed, leaning against the wall in the hopes it’d give him strength.

It felt wrong. This wasn’t something Logan should’ve been doing. He had a class today, and rather than reading ahead and preparing himself Logan could barely move due to nausea and pain. He’d been stupid.

Logan had thought Patton was an airhead, and yet he’d been studying even though he’d had to spend the night with two drunken strangers. And they had been strangers. Patton owed him and Roman nothing. It made the guilt overwhelming when Patton crouched in front of him, worry in his eyes.

“Logan, I think we’ve got the same introductory class today, Gen Ed Biology? I can pick up the work for you, just please, you need to lie down.”

He wanted to argue. He almost did, but the feeling of death won out and he got back into bed. Missing a first class was far less than ideal. But even with his glasses on he could hardly see straight and his brain wouldn’t let him come up with a convincing argument against Patton’s. 

Patton gave Logan a sad smile, clearing up the remainder of his papers and picking up a plastic bag that had been near the door. “This plan works out anyway since I wanted to come by later, also I brought some food from my room! They're just some sandwiches, there’s ham and cheese, turkey, I think there might be some peanut butter and jelly left and - oh! There’s also some of my mom’s homemade enchiladas!”

Patton dropped the bag next to the bed, about to leave like that wasn’t a weird thing to give to someone you barely knew. It took Logan a second to even process it even happened.

“That’s… for us?” Was all Logan could think to say.

“Well, you guys need to eat after a night like that! Oh and also there’s some water on the nightstand, staying hydrated is important kiddo.”

“I mean… why us? That’s a lot of food to be giving away.”

Patton shrugged, adjusting his bag strap. “I was going to share that food with any new friends I made yesterday, so, well… guess you guys get the whole lot!”

Logan had nothing to say to that.

Patton left not too long after, but not before leaving Logan alone with an unconscious Roman, a heavy weight of guilt in his chest and a million and one thoughts racing through his head. 

He should’ve gone to class. He should’ve stayed home studying last night. He should’ve never gone to that party, or talked to those strangers, or had anything to drink. 

Yep, this was not what Logan expected from college at all.

///

**Author's Note:**

> Expect more content from this universe. There’s more sides to this story. (:


End file.
